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8 Months

Chris here. I’ve decided to write the blog post for this month. Partially because Amanda is busy finishing up the end of her school year and partially because I like to do these on occasion.

Let me start by making a note about feminism. In short, I think moms get treated unfairly in our society far too often. A few weeks ago, I was a part of a conversation where working mothers were passed over for work opportunities because it was assumed they would be too busy and wouldn’t want that additional professional involvement. I spoke up to the group and stated that we should NEVER make this assumption about a working mother, and instead, we should allow her to decide if she’d like to take up that new role. I’d also add that very few people would EVER make that assumption about me as a young dad. As a young father, I’m seeing more and more the privileges that come along with being male and the obstacles women face everyday in the work force.

That being said, I have been so proud of the way Amanda has balanced her professional and personal life. Amanda has done a slam-dunk job at teaching excellently while also contributing professionally beyond her classroom. I’m proud of her and glad that she has the opportunity to be an amazing teacher, amazing graduate student (yes, she is enrolled in classes and has been for the past 2 years!), AND an amazing mom.

Alright, onto the kid stuff.

This is a new era for us.

Things have changed.

For the better.

I’ll explain soon.

Likes:

Crawling! Harrison started scooting all over the place about 3 weeks ago, and while he is not on his knees yet, his army scoot is quite productive and cute. We had about 1 week of the “sitting but not mobile” phase. It was nice while it lasted.

His brother. Harrison squeals in the morning at first sight of August. It’s quite amazing. I’m excited to see the bond between them continue to develop.

Harrison loves bath time. He never cries, loves hanging with his bro during it, and splashing around.

I think Harrison has developed a healthy sleep association. He has this little green frog that he has become quite smitten with. He sleeps with it every day, and it definitely brings him peace. I’m still perplexed about the physiology behind these attachment objects, and I am amazed how these little humans operate at such a complex level.

Eye contact and social interaction. Still. He is a pretty calm baby, but simultaneously social. It’s a funny combination. He is not nearly has hyperactive as August was as a baby. He also isn’t quite as high strung.

Dislikes

Various solid foods. He hates homemade green beans and peaches. He has also been a little more skittish eating his bottles. The latter is because he is distracted by social situations and his environment.

Stationary devices. Harrison loves to move, and as soon as we put him in his ExerSaucer or his high chair he whines. He just wants to wiggle!

He is showing the initial signs of developing separation anxiety. Every once in a while when we try to give him to someone else, he will push away and throw himself into our arms.

There are no signs of cruising or walking yet. And I’m cool with that.

Firsts

Sleep. Consistent sleep. We are FINALLY out of the miserable phase that occupied our minds during his first seven months. Sure, those seven months weren’t all bad. But we were constantly exhausted, anxious, and consumed by thoughts about sleep. It consumed us. Harrison is now sleeping through the night with just one bottle feeding at around 3 am. AND he sleeps every morning and afternoon for at least 70 minutes. Sometimes it’s up to 3 hours! This is the moment we’ve been waiting for.

Crawling! See above.

Pulling himself up. Kinda. With some extra leverage, Harrison has been pulling himself up on August’s train table. In a few short weeks, we are going to need to lower his crib because I’m certain he will be standing on his own soon.

Harrison got his first teeth this month! We were convinced he started teething at 2.5 months. Well, we were wrong until now. His two bottom teeth are halfway in, and it’s awesome.

And finally, August has fallen in love with the Snapchat FaceSwap feature. Enjoy.